The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-25
STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
Astronomical View of the Leg
ends of Its Appearance.
WERE THE PLANETS IN CONJUNCTION
From the siderral Messenger.

Intelligent people have been frequently ask
ing during the past summer where the Star of
Bethlehem could be found. The impression
seems to have been general that there was now
TO be seen somewhere in the heavens a very
bright star which should properly be called the
Star of Bethlehem, meaning that notable sta
spoken of in the Bible as the "Star of the
East" which the wise men saw and followed,
in search of the birthplace of the King of the
Jews, and which event before them till it
came and stood over the place where the young
child was"
In 1884 very much was said about this star
in newspapers and varions periodicals in popu-
lar and religious lines of thought awakening
an interest in the minds of the uninstructed in
the astronomy and the history of it, which was
sometimes very intense with well-meant devo-
Slon and sometimes very ludicrous and fanciful.
What lent peculiar zest to these popular fancies
in the summer of that year was the appearance
OF the planet Venus, for considerable time as
a bright and most beautiful object to look up
on in the western evening sky. and from this
circumstance alone it was believed by many at
that time that this queen of the starry host
unknown by name) was the real Star of Beth
aehem
THEORIES OF THE STAR.
In view of this, an article was prepared for
the Messenger giving the substance of all that
was known to the writer about the history of
the memorable star, arranged under four
heads, as follows:
l. The star may have been amiraculous light of
some kind
2. The conjunction of the planets jupiter and
eaturn first, and finally Jupiter and Mas.
s. A comet; and,
a. A new or temporary star.
On the first point, astronomy, as such, could
have nothing to say, because wholly beyond its
province of investigation.
Regarding the second point, scholars and
from in 1a ri
'thought and wrote much. In this Professor
Encke took the lead and his conclusions that
She conjunctions of the great planets
which took place at the time of the birth of
Christ must have been the star seen by the
Magi. This opinion prevailed quite generally
among astronomers, including so high authori-
ty as that of George B. Airy, astronomer royal
OF England.
Within the last few years, however, astrono-
$ners have been less confident that the theory
of the conjunction of the planets is really
sound. AS determined by Encke in 1881, the
distance of these planets apart at conjunction
must have been one degree at least, and hence
could not have appeared to an ordinary OBJ
server as one star at any time On the other
hand it is easy to see how such striking phe-
Nomenon would arrest the attention of those
interested in, or acquainted with, the Hebrew
prophecy orastrology. The teaching of astrology
interpreted the conjunctions of planets as fore
shadowing great national events, and the sign
of Zodiac called Pisces was known to belong
20 the Jewish nation, hence conjunction in
CHS sign mot only one, but three) was signif
cant Of the birth Of Christ the expected king
A trace of this same belief is found in Kepler's
writing, in which he holds that the coniunc-
lions of great planets comedies with the ap-
proach of climaXes in human affairs and gives
as examples, the birth of Enoch the Deluge,
the births, OF Moses, Cyrus, Jesus Christ,
-Charlemagne and Luther.
A COMET OR 4 NEW STAR.
Regarding the theory that the star seen may
nave been a comet whose change of place
might have answered the description given in
the New Testament, nothing can be said bv
She astronomer, for he has no historical evil
dence to support such claim, and he probably
would not offer any other.
In the matter OF the appearance of new or
temporary star at this time, as the object seen
by the Magi, the records contain something of
interest.
BY new or temporary star is meant one
chat suddenly flashes out where none has been
noticed before and as suddenly dwindles away
to a telescope star or disappears altogether
The important stars spoken of in connection
with this subject are Tycho Brahes star and
Ghe star in Coma Berenices. There is proba-
Oily not another new or known variable star
chat has so wonderful a record as that which
bears the name of Tycho Brahe. Brahe speaks
of its brightness as greater than that of Sirius,
Vega or Jupiter For splendor it was only
comparable to Venus when nearest to the
earth and was seen by some at noonday A fter
a few weeks it began to decline, and in sixteen
months became invisible to the naked eye (the
telescope being invented thirty-seven years
later.
In waning the star passed through changes
of color, from white toyellow and red and then
TO white again. These phenomena interested
Tycho Brahe so much that he wrote a large
book describing the appearance of the star as
seen by himself and others. and gave theories
TO account for those wonderful changes. 1t
mas since been thought that this star appeared
also in 947 and 1864. If it be a variable star
with period of about 314 years, it would make
sts time of appearance about the beginning of
Che Christian area and also its temperance
probable, in some slight degree, in 1886. In
consequence of this latter supposition astrono-
&ners in Europe have been watching it's place
$n cassiopeia, which is now closely marked by
q faint star, with special attention, for the last
Sen years.
IN Tycho Brahe's it was claimed by one
Cardanus that this was the star which the
-Magi saw
The star of Coma Berenices is spoken of as
appearing Immediately preceding the birth of
Christ and was so bright as to be visible by
day. IIipparchus and Ptolemy speak of this
star and lgnatius says that ait sparlllcd in
brilliancy above all stars" Chinese records
also mention a new bright star at this time,
but none of these statements have we been
able to verify from the best authority IN DR..
Scigs's view Of the divine origin Of the con-
stellations the theory of this last named tenn
porafy star is certainly very suggestive and
possibly not too fanciful to be true, So uncer-
Gain is all our knowledge Of the Star OF Bethlc-
hem from records within our reach at the pres
ent time.
AN OLD-TlME MURDER.